By Liz Whitaker-Street and Amy Seager, Directors of Whitaker Seager Estate Agents
For decades, Britain’s homes have been designed to keep us warm.
From cavity wall insulation and triple glazing to increasingly airtight construction, everything has been geared towards reducing heat loss during our long winters. But after another spell of soaring summer temperatures, perhaps it’s time to ask a different question.
Are we now building homes that are simply too hot?
It’s a question recently posed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which has warned that overheating is becoming an increasing problem in UK housing as our climate continues to change.
As estate agents working across the Stroud Valleys, Nailsworth, Minchinhampton and the surrounding Cotswolds, it’s something we’re beginning to hear from buyers more often.
People are no longer just asking about broadband speeds, EPC ratings or running costs. Increasingly, they’re commenting on how warm a property feels, whether it has enough shade, whether bedrooms become uncomfortable at night and how well the house copes during a heatwave.
These aren’t questions we were hearing ten years ago.
Ironically, some of the homes that achieve excellent energy ratings can become some of the warmest during prolonged hot weather. Large expanses of south-facing glass, open-plan living and highly insulated construction can all trap heat if they’re not balanced with good ventilation and thoughtful design.
That doesn’t mean energy efficiency is wrong—far from it. Reducing carbon emissions remains hugely important. But homes also need to work for the climate we’re increasingly experiencing, not just the one we grew up with.
Here in Gloucestershire, we’re fortunate to have an incredible variety of housing.
Many traditional Cotswold stone cottages and older period homes naturally perform well during hot weather. Thick stone walls, smaller windows and high ceilings often help regulate internal temperatures surprisingly effectively. They were built long before air conditioning existed, yet many have stood the test of time remarkably well.
Modern homes, meanwhile, offer excellent insulation and lower energy bills but can sometimes benefit from additional features to prevent overheating.
Simple measures can make a significant difference.
External shutters, awnings, carefully positioned trees, roof overhangs and planting can all reduce solar gain before heat even enters the building. Cross ventilation, opening windows on opposite sides of the house to create airflow, is one of the oldest and most effective cooling methods available. Even the orientation of a home can have a considerable impact on internal comfort.
As property professionals, we believe these features will become increasingly important to buyers over the coming years.
Just as flood risk and energy efficiency have become part of everyday conversations, we suspect “summer comfort” will soon join the checklist.
Developers, architects and policymakers face an interesting challenge. The Government rightly wants to accelerate housebuilding to address the housing shortage, but quantity alone cannot be the answer. We also need homes that are resilient enough for the climate of the future.
RICS has highlighted that around 80 per cent of the homes we’ll be living in by 2050 have already been built. That means retrofitting existing properties is just as important as designing better new ones.
We believe the best homes of tomorrow will be those that are comfortable in every season—warm during a cold January evening but naturally cool on a hot July afternoon.
At Whitaker Seager, we’re fortunate to spend every day inside homes across our beautiful part of the Cotswolds. We see first-hand what works well and what doesn’t. As buyers’ priorities evolve, the homes that embrace both energy efficiency and climate resilience are likely to be the ones that stand out.
Britain’s climate is changing. Perhaps it’s time our approach to housebuilding changed too.
Because a truly future-proof home shouldn’t simply keep the heat in—it should know when to keep it out.
